'Phenomenal' orchestral family concert to debut in Sheffield

Concerteenies is hosting Stan and Mabel, a musical story based on the book by Jason Chapman, with the well-loved Hallam Sinfonia orchestra.

It is the first orchestral concert for charity Concerteenies, and takes place as part of the 50th anniversary year of Hallam Sinfonia.

Two shows, including one which is BSL interpreted, will take place at Victoria Hall in Sheffield city centre on Saturday February 10.

Polly Ives, founder of Concerteenies which stages musical concerts and activities for children, said: “Often, experiencing concerts young is the catalyst for a lifelong love of music.

“To see a whole orchestra perform for the first time really is a phenomenal experience due to the scale of the sight and sound.

“It’s fantastic seeing more than 60 orchestral musicians enjoying playing together and inspiring the next generations.

“Stan and Mabel has been performed in Australia, London and Scotland before, so we are thrilled to be bringing it to Sheffield for one day only.”

In Stan and Mabel, Stan the dog and Mabel the cat discover their flute-playing neighbour has gone to Italy to judge auditions for the best orchestra in the world,

They decide to follow her, and are joined on the adventure by other animals all brought to life by different instruments.

Polly added: “The duck is brought to life by the oboe, horse on bassoon and rabbits as the percussion section. It’s a fantastic introduction to an orchestra for young children.

“A modern- day Peter and the Wolf, if you like!

“Hearing and experiencing music from a young age has many benefits for children including boosting communication, confidence and literacy and numeracy skills.”

The one-hour musical version of Stan and Mabel has been composed by Paul Rissmann, who Polly has worked with for 20 years.

The conductor is Helen Harrison, one of the few female conductors in the UK.

She is the music director of Young Sinfonia, the Royal Northern Sinfonia’s Youth Orchestra based at Sage Gateshead.

Later in 2024, Polly will be performing with Stan and Mabel at schools’ and family concerts including with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at The Southbank Centre and London Mozart Players in Croydon.

Tickets for Stan and Mabel in Sheffield are on sale now priced at £10.50 for adults and £3.50 for children.

Children aged under one go free.

To book visit the Concerteenies events page at https://www.concerteenies.com/events

Families can also learn the songs and music before the concert on the Concerteenies website.